updated 08:00 am EDT, Mon August 15, 2011

Google acquires Motorola in surprise step

Google orchestrated one of the biggest upsets in the mobile industry on Monday after it bought Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The deal will keep Motorola as a separate business and will reportedly keep Android relatively open. Both called the deal mutual and expected it to clear in late 2011 or early 2012 if approved.

The search firm made it clear that the deal was less to get direct control of a hardware maker and more to defend itself against an increasing number of patent attacks against Android that it has cast as anti-competitive. Google owns few patents of its own and, since it was previously only giving away free OS licenses to outside companies, couldn't be directly sued for financial damage. The deal makes Motorola's patents Google's own and effectively pits Apple and Microsoft lawsuits directly against Google rather than targeting the company through proxy battles with its partners.

"Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies," CEO Larry Page said.

Although not stated, the move may have been spurred on by Motorola's hinted inter-Android lawsuits. The phone maker's chief Sanjay Jha had touted the strength of his company's patents and that other Android supporters might be targeted as Motorola tried to lower the cost of its phones. Google making the deal takes this possibility off the table.

From a practical standpoint, the deal could mean the end to Motorola's often-criticized customization of Android on its devices as well as a change to who makes reference Nexus phones. Although it will ostensibly be a separately-run company, Motorola will now be the official showcase for Android and will likely be pushed to run the latest, stock version of the OS on at least some if not all of its devices. It would undermine Google if its own hardware maker contributed to the fragmentation of the platform.

so much for open and free

When Android is no longer free to any phone maker on the planet due to the mess Google is in with using other's unlicensed IP they will have at least one company (Moto) to push what will be left of the platform.

Remembering

Apple tried with Motorola with many buttoned iPod phone. (Cultural failure)
Microsoft tried own phone after s******* their phone partners. (PC software failure)
Goggle is mixing both of these failed approaches. (Predict double duty failure)
Apple is only one that seems to know that software and hardware designers need to be in same design room. (includes processor software and hardware designers)

Remembering

Apple tried with Motorola with many buttoned iPod phone. (Cultural failure)
Microsoft tried own phone after s******* their phone partners. (PC software failure)
Goggle is mixing both of these failed approaches. (Predict double duty failure)
Apple is only one that seems to know that software and hardware designers need to be in same design room. (includes processor software and hardware designers)

Good Move

Actually, other smartphone makers are fully supportive of this merger and have publicly said so. Acquiring these patents greatly defends Google's position against the patent lawsuits that Apple is bringing against them -- as they are now in a position to bring similar lawsuits against Apple.

I don't know how anyone can rationally maintain that the dominant mobile OS (Android) is "doomed to failure"-- especially now. Hopefully, both Apple and Google/Motorola can get back to making great products and abandon these ridiculous patent conflicts.

Haha

Buying patents after infringing is by no means a get out of jail free card. lol. I would also be that if there were any patent issues between Motorola and Apple, they have long been put to rest. Which when Google purchased the company, will also be required to abide to any prior settlements or agreements.

@Zeeb

Your comments are logical, rational, and level headed. Please refrain from doing so in this forum. You must be an Android basher here. If not, you will receive -1 from everyone.

Why is everyone afraid of Android. It rocks. IOS rocks. They are both very good for the mobile OS.
No hate here. I like my Ipod, it is the best product for music out there. I like my Droid Incredible 2, love it. I couldn't get an iPhone becuase I can't stand AT&T. No issues. Went droid, my whole family has Droid phones.. we all like them. They work just fine.

@Zeeb

Your comments are logical, rational, and level headed. Please refrain from doing so in this forum. You must be an Android basher here. If not, you will receive -1 from everyone.

Why is everyone afraid of Android. It rocks. IOS rocks. They are both very good for the mobile OS.
No hate here. I like my Ipod, it is the best product for music out there. I like my Droid Incredible 2, love it. I couldn't get an iPhone becuase I can't stand AT&T. No issues. Went droid, my whole family has Droid phones.. we all like them. They work just fine.

Quantity of patents is irrelevant

Moves like this are always accompanied by rhetoric to the effect of "strengthening a patent portolfio" vis a vis increasing the number of patents held. One infringed patent is an infringed patent, regardless of how many hundreds or thousands of distracting inconsequential patents get mixed in with a lawsuit. Yet, in true keeping with our attrition-based legal system, more patents = more likelihood of surviving a patent suit (via simply outlasting the consequences or crippling the system with the burden of n counterclaims (a la the death by a thousand cuts)). The legal profession once again shows its repulsiveness.

Stupid.

You don't buy a great american company (or part of it that it spun off) and claim that it will solve your problems. You create this mobile OS then get all whiney when device OEM's take it off in various directions. Hey google, you could have started your own handset division, but no you had to do it the quick & dirty way.